Stranger
by Kristi-730
Summary: She’s taking off her clothes again/Says “Let the whole world see” an AU Earth Fic


Title: Stranger

A/N: The summary is from the song "Momentary thing" by Something Happens. Written for **artemis90** for the **klficathon**. Beta'ed by **kell887**.

_You seem so out of context  
In this gaudy apartment complex  
A stranger with your door key  
Explaining that I am just visiting  
_the District Sleeps Alone Tonight by the Postal Service

He shouldn't still be in New York. Lee Adama knew this. He should have caught an earlier plane. He should have left as soon as his meeting with the UN was over. Dee was waiting for him back in Chicago, and they had a fight to resume. But somehow, and honestly he wasn't sure how, he found himself in a strip club trying, and failing, to drink his troubles away.

Finding Earth was supposed to make everything better. His marriage, which was already on the rocks, had deteriorated once they arrived.

Things were no better here then they were back up in the sky.

A voice pumped out of the speakers, "Gentlemen, put your hands together for Starr."

Lee turned his attention to the stage and that's when he saw her. There, undressing herself in front of a room full of men, was Kara Thrace. Sure her hair was longer, and she was made up to look like someone she wasn't, and that mischievous sparkle in her eyes looked like it was long gone, but it was her.

It had been three years since he last saw her, when her viper had exploded right in front of his eyes, and now here she was, on Earth, exposing herself for every one to see.

Lee was having a hard time wrapping his head around everything that he had learned. Kara, his Kara, was on Earth. And despite all the thoughts running through his head right then there was one that stood out.

The final five have been found. Kara wasn't one of them. Kara's not a Cylon.

And this caused him to breathe a sigh of relief.

He should have left as soon as he saw her. He should have told himself that she was a just a hallucination brought on by lack of sleep and one to many drinks.

But he never could leave, not when it came to Kara. And that was why he was standing in the parking lot, in the cold New York drizzle, waiting for her like some stalker.

Just when Lee was about to give up when he heard her familiar voice and saw her walk onto the pavement of the lighted parking lot with a man.

"Kara?" He finally managed to call out after multiple failed attempts.

She stopped dead in her tracks, obviously recognizing his voice so he said her name, louder this time, and hurried over.

"Is it really you?" he asked reaching out to touch her.

"Back off buddy." The large man who was escorting her said grabbing Lee by the arm.

"It's okay Tony," Kara said separating the two, "I know him."

Kara pulled her coat close to her body and laughed. "Well, well, well. Lee Adama is a skeezy perv. Who'd of guessed it?"

Using humor to hide her emotions; that was the Kara he knew.

"Is it really you?"

"It's really me."

"What are you doing here Kara?"

"Can I ask you something?" Lee asked as Kara drove him back to her place. She had realized that the parking lot of her place of employment was probably not the best place to rehash the past.

"Can't it wait?"

"It's just one thing."

Kara pulled up to a stop light and looked over at Lee, "What?"

"Why didn't you contact us? When you saw that we arrived why didn't you look any one of us up?"

"And what exactly would I have said?"

Lee had no answer to that.

"That's what I thought."

"So let me see if I understand everything correctly." Lee took another sip of his of beer.

He was at Kara's now and thank the gods her room mates were out of town, because he not know how they would have had this conversation with them in the apartment.

She told him about everything that had happen to her from the moment he thought she died to now. It amazed him that three years of her life could be told in an hour and a half.

"You woke up in hospital with a broken leg and a fake identity. When you got out you found that someone had gotten you a place to live. So you lived there for a while doing odd jobs. And you did that for a while before moving into this apartment and becoming a stripper." Lee said with a hint of hostility in his voice when he said the word _stripper._

Kara obviously sensed the hostility too because her face grew stern and she began to shake her head.

"Is the man who had a relationship with a hooker really turning his nose up at me when all I do is take off my clothes for money? Really? Gods that is so hypocritical." The serious look quickly disappeared and was replaced with a laugh," And so the Lee Adama I know."

Lee couldn't help but laugh along with her.

"So, tell me more about what you've been up to. Are you seeing anyone? That Tony guy maybe." he asked.

"Tony? No."

"No?"

"Never in a million years. I'm like a little sister to him. It feels pretty good too. It's been a long time since anyone thought of me like that. And I don't really have much time to date since I--" Kara stopped suddenly, as if she wasn't sure if she should continue her thought, and took a drink of her beer.

"Since you what?"

"I started college last summer. NYU."

"You're going to school?" Lee could not understand this. He was so sure that if it weren't for flying Kara would have left the academy before she really began.

"Yes."

"Why? That's not what I meant--What are you planning on doing?"

"You can't laugh."

"I swear to the Lords of Kobol that I won't."

Kara took a deep breath and let the words spill out, "I want to teach art. To elementary school students."

Lee raised his eye brows and couldn't help but let his jaw drop a bit.

"Who are you and what have you done with Kara Thrace?"

"I know!" she laughed, "Its weird isn't it?"

"It is. But at the same time, you could handle thirty nuggets so how hard could it be to take care of the same number of six year olds?"

"That's what I was thinking." Kara leaned back on the couch and put her feet up on the coffee table, "So I'm tired of talking. It's your turn. Tell me flyboy. What have you been up to? How are you and Dee doing?"

Lee sighed and looked down at the floor, "We're getting divorced."

"Oh Lee I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. It's--its right. She wanted kids; I wanted to wait until after law school. And neither one of us were going to change our minds."

"Law school?"

"Yeah."

"I can see that."

"Thanks."

"What about everyone else? How are they doing?"

"They're good. Helo and Sharon are having another baby, a boy this time. Hotdog and Racetrack are in some sort of a relationship. And I can only assume that you've heard about my dad and Laura."

Ever since the survivors had landed on Earth the news media had become enamored with the former admiral and president. It was next to impossible to open a magazine or turn on the television and not hear something about the two, especially once the news of their romantic relationship became public.

"Yeah I have. I'm happy for them. And everyone else. It sounds like things are pretty good for them."

"Yeah. It's starting to look that way."

"It's getting late." Kara glanced up at the time on her cable box.

"It is." Lee nodded his head.

"When's your flight?"

"I've still got time."

It was Kara's turn to nod her head.

And then, without really thinking, Lee leaned in closer to her, and closer still, until their lips were touching.

"Lee what are you doing?" Kara asked pulling away.

"Something I've dreamt about for a long time." is what he wanted to tell her. "Something I have to do." was another.

But all he could say was, "I have no idea."

And then he did it again.

Later Lee was woken up by Kara's lips on his shoulder and her hand running through his hair.

"You need to go." she whispered into his ear.

"What?" Lee asked drowsily, rubbing his hands over his face to wake himself up.

"Your plane." Kara pointed at the clock on the bedside table, "You've gotta get home."

She was right. Because this time he really did have a plane to catch, a life to get back to. And a fight to resume.

Lee crawled out of bed and picked up his pants from the floor.

"You're right."

"Lee, I--." Kara wasn't sure how to say what she wanted to say so she just let the silence speak for her.

And Lee knew exactly what she was saying, "I know."

"I want you to call me, okay? Keep me up to date with everything."

"You bet." Lee slid his jacket on and then just stood and looked at Kara. "We should see each other again, next time I'm in New York. I miss talking to you."

"It sounds like a plan. And Lee? I miss talking to you too."

Six weeks later Lee called Kara to tell her that he got his acceptance letter from Columbia law school. He had never heard her sound happier.


End file.
